. >> i was going to ask a question about washington. in the case of susan rice and seems like, it we're going through exercise of pre betting. -- pre-betting. is this a new and healthy trend in washington? >> i do not think it is really new. i think today with the media, everybody knows about everything the minute it happens. perhaps it is new because of that. we are a democratic society, and open society. people have a right and an obligation to voice their opinions and vent. if your appointing someone to a high post, you need to look behind the credentials. chuck higgle is qualified to be secretary of defense -- hegel is qualified to be secretary of defense. you want to have these other things available as well. he wants someone to not be controversial. if there are controversial, because there will be distracted from what they ordinarily should be doing. you want to have a noncontroversial nominee. >> i wanted to press you a little bit on this. your colleague shelley berkley has said that chuck hagel is unacceptable for secretary of